Tesla News: CEO Elon Musk Responds To Environmental Concerns Surrounding New German Factory

Tesla CEO Elon Musk responded to several environmental concerns surrounding the construction and maintenance of the new Tesla “Gigafactory 4” near Berlin. The site where the factory will be built has drawn protesters due to worries that the facility will excessively use water and that it will cause deforestation.

“Sounds like we need to clear up a few things! Tesla won’t use this much net water on a daily basis. It’s possibly a rare peak usage case, but not an everyday event,” Musk tweeted Saturday, referring to documents which say the factory will consume 372 cubic meters of water per hour. German critics of the factory believe that such an amount would quickly consume the area’s water reserves.

“Also, this is not a natural forest — it was planted for use as cardboard,” Musk added. Protesters have criticized the factory for destroying 300 hectares of forest, which provides a habitat for wildlife in the area.

“Giga Berlin will build sustainable energy vehicles using sustainable energy, so net environmental impact will be extremely positive!” Musk said. Construction on the factory will begin this year, and will conclude in 2021, with Tesla aiming to produce 500,000 cars a year at the facility.

Musk announced the German factory in November, with German officials expecting the factory would create thousands of jobs.

The electric vehicle company is continuing to expand internationally. Tesla has recently begun making deliveries of vehicles made at its new “Gigafactory” in Shanghai.